Japan Training Diary 2025
RTK’s annual Japan trip took place between 28th May and 7th June. Our Group consisted of: Paul Wolstencroft Sensei, Mike Beckwith Sensei, Leesa Beckwith Sensei, Lee Edwards Sensei, David Robertson Sensei and Dexter Wolstencroft all returning from our 2024 trip, with the welcome addition of Catherine Johnson and Alex Moriarty Sensei. Both are senior karateka who realised a long held ambition of practising karate in Japan. We must say a couple of thank you’s before sharing with you the story of the trip. First, thank you to the SKIF Hombu Dojo who kindly allow us to visit. They trust us to train alongside their students and are so giving with their knowledge. Without them allowing us into their dojo, we would have no trip.
Thanks also to Mike and Leesa Beckwith Sensei’s who organised everything from the flights, to the hotel, to the itinerary and getting everyone from A to B. They kept the group entertained all week and did a fantastic job of co-ordinating everyone. The group appreciated all of the effort and hard work you had put into making it such an enjoyable and successful trip.
Mike Beckwith Sensei kept the following diary of events which will give you an idea of what the RTK Training Trip & Tokyo sightseeing tour entails:
Day 1 & 2 - Wednesday 28th & Thursday 29th May:
We left home at 5am on the 28th May for the long flight to Haneda. After boarding the short hopper flight from Manchester to Heathrow we had a couple of hours to chill before boarding the ‘big plane’ to Haneda. After a further 13 ½ hours travelling we finally touched down at 11am Tokyo time on the Thursday (3am Thursday UK time).
We found our way to the hotel and checked in before having a couple of hours sleep. At around 4pm we headed over to the Hirota store where a couple of the group purchased new Gi’s and belts to be collected a day or two later. Still tired and jet lagged we found somewhere to eat and then retired to bed before starting our training at the SKIF Hombu dojo in Kugahara the next day.
Day 3 - Friday 30th May
Our first morning session. We arrived bright(ish) and breezy(ish) at the Hombu ready to train at 10.30am. Paul Huglo Sensei was there to greet us with a friendly welcome, we got changed and were ready to go. Although it was over 12 Months since we had last visited, it felt like we had never been away!
We were made to feel incredibly welcome by the Hombu Instructors and within five minutes of training remembered just how different the karate was. It is both mentally and physically challenging as you would expect. Ito Sensei worked us through kihon focusing on the breathing at the end of the techniques and the whole of the body being used to finish techniques and not separate parts. We then worked on some kumite drills based on the Kihon we had just done, then finished the lesson with Katas Gojushiho Dai and Gojushiho Sho, again working on the whole of the body working together.
We then went back to the hotel hot, sweaty and happy. The temperature in the dojo was around 22 degrees and high humidity which was the standard for every training session!
We used the free time to get our bearings around Kamata, have some lunch, do some shopping etc before returning to the dojo for evening training at 7pm. This session was led by Paul Huglo Sensei and again focused on Kihon as well as not ‘telegraphing’. The Mantra for this session was “The end of every action should be the beginning of the next action”.
In other words don’t stop after just one or two techniques. Always be ready to continue your attack or to defend a counter attack. Again we worked some interesting drills, lots of partner work applying the drills and then finished with Heian Shodan and Meikyo (Big Mirror) to apply the kihon into our Katas.
After 3 hours training in our first “proper” day, we headed back to the hotel, dropped our bags and headed out for some well deserved food and then fell into bed!!
Day 4 - Saturday 31st May (Mike Sensei’s birthday!!)
Today was an incredibly early start for 2 of our Karateka as Paul Sensei and Dave Sensei decided to do the 6.30am session with Maki Sensei. A 90 minute session went on for nearly 2 hours as Maki Sensei concentrated on breathing from your ‘Hara’ (lower abdomen), kimae and focus in Karate. Maki Sensei translates his teaching messages by using expert demonstrations. He passionately shares his knowledge gained through 35 years of training directly under Soke Hirokazu Kanazawa. Both Paul Sensei and Dave Sensei came back incredibly enthused by the session and said they felt like beginners. There is still so much to learn for all of us.
They also got a lift back to the hotel by Maki Sensei. Although they did offer to catch the train back, Maki Sensei kindly insisted and they returned home in Maki Sensei’s classic Jaguar car. A detail that Paul Sensei did continue to mention (once or twice) over the next few days!!!!!!!!
Back together, the group then returned to the dojo at 10.30am for another incredible session with Daizo Kanazawa Sensei 6th Dan. This session was based on kumite. We worked on distance control and timing before finishing the session with Katas: Bassai Dai, Enpi and Jion.
Later that day, we headed over to the Tokyo Skytree and went up to the viewing platform, we were hoping to see a firework display too, but this had been cancelled due to the rain and wind. We finished the day by grabbing a well deserved Burger at a Hawaiian restaurant called Aka Una.
Day 5 - Sunday 1st June
A no training day as the Hombu Dojo was closed so we took advantage of the opportunity to do some sightseeing and get some great photos in our Dogi’s.
Our tour guide picked us up from the hotel at 7am. We got to visit the famous Pagoda, sailed across Lake Kawaguchi in an old Boat (upgrading to first class of course) before catching a cable car to Oshino Hakkai to see the natural Lava Ventsand Springs on the side of Mount Fuji before calling at a Shopping Mall for a few of us to enjoy an hour or so of retail therapy.
The only downside to the day was the journey home. There had been a couple of accidents on the Expressway which meant that a two hour journey took nearly four hours! Unfortunately, our driver Mark still had another 2 hours to drive before he got home after dropping us off!
Day 6 - Monday 2nd June
Paul Sensei and Catherine Johnson rose early to train with Maki Sensei at the 6.30am class. The class consisted of Kihon, focus, posture, kimae and ensuring you are correctly controlling your breathing. Both really enjoyed the session and came away with plenty to work on that will improve all aspects of their karate.
Back together, the full group then returned to the dojo at 10.30 am for another incredible session, this time with Fumitoshi Kanazawa Sensei 6th Dan. We worked on hikite, correct use of the hips before moving onto Jiyu Ippon kumite. To finish, we worked on Bassai dai and Bunkai (application of the Kata).
After this session we had a free afternoon so a few of us headed to Tokyo Disneyland. We enjoyed the rides and “experiences” there and of course meeting the characters, seeing the fireworks and enjoying our last ride, the water drop which unfortunately (not) drenched Paul Sensei and Dexter!!!.
Day 7 - Tuesday 3rd June
A free day until evening training so we all had a well deserved lie in to 9am! Unfortunately the Rain Gods decided to visit us today and we got drenched as we visited the Senso Ji temple in Asakusa which was still a unique and incredible experience. Soaked through to the skin, we soggily made our way back to the hotel to dry off. Some of the group braved the weather again to visit the Nippon Budokan, the spiritual home of Karate which was peaceful and strangely beautiful.
Dexter joined in the kids class with Shinji Tanaka Sensei 7th Dan and really enjoyed his session. Tanaka Sensei certainly put him through his paces and Dexter has come away with plenty to work on. He shared some beautiful individually wrapped slattery’s chocolates with the children in the class which were appreciated gratefully received. Japanese children always have the most impeccable manners and the most awe-inspiring karate. We hope that this will have inspired him to work hard in class just like they do.
A miserably wet day was made a whole lot better with another session for the adults at 7pm with Fumitoshi Kanazawa Sensei. Yet another excellent session working on four basic kihon drills before performing them with a partner to make a great drill. A quick bit of food and then we all retired to our rooms absolutely exhausted!
Day 8 - Wednesday 4th June
Our final training session of the trip, this time with Paul Huglo Sensei. I think he knew it was our last session and tried to break us with a LOT of kicking! But we don’t give up easily and after a 60 minute kicking class we were then given the opportunity to work on Enpi, Gankaku or Sochin with the Hombu Instructors which was fantastic!
Again tired, stiff but not broken, we made our way back to Ota City for tea and bed!
Day 9 - Thursday 5th June
Our last full day in Japan. We took the opportunity to visit or revisit places we wanted to individually or just chill out in the local hotel area and purchase the last few bits and bobs of presents and memorabilia to take home.
At 4pm we made our way to Shinjuku to see a Ninja Show, after which some members of the audience were invited up to try out some of the choreographed ninja moves that we had seen. Paul Sensei and Dexter had a go first followed by Mike Sensei and Leesa Sensei.
Finally, we went over to Ikebukoro to a restaurant that is a favourite of ours. A traditional venue with horiogotatsu tables which are sunk into the floor. Many, many dishes of various foods were devoured and we all left with full stomachs and tired limbs but happy to have had such an epic adventure again.
Day 10 - Friday 6th June
An early rise again to finish the trip. We all met in the reception of the hotel at 9am to head over to Haneda airport for the long trip home. In true Japanese fashion, we took off early and settled in to our seats for the 14 plus hour journey home landing very late on Friday evening UK time. An exhausting journey but worth every minute.
The key take aways from this trip:
It is a long journey but worth the time and effort because the Country is breathtakingly beautiful, the people are incredibly polite and their karate is unparalleled.
Japan is a cultural experience rather than a holiday. The culture is completely different (in the best of ways). Society built upon the highest of standards, mutual respect for one another, politeness, punctuality, impeccable manners and keeping everywhere clean, tidy and peaceful. People blend seamlessly with nature and collectively look after the environment. Whilst in Japan, we must learn from their behaviour and try to incorporate it into our own lives. They literally do everything the right way!
Be open to trying new foods and new experiences but always be mindful and respectful everywhere you go. Tidy up after yourselves in food outlets and restaurants.
Be on time for the train. Much of your travelling within the city will be done by train and their public transport system is spotless and runs like clockwork.
In the dojo Kihon is King. SKIF have a fantastic way of making kihon look so simple but effective in all aspects of the 3 K’s of Karate (Kihon, Kata, Kumite). They are all equally important. Without one, we cannot seek to perfect the others.
Simple is good, basics are effective.
Training alongside higher graded karateka, testing yourself, pushing yourself and believing in yourself are all important attributes of an ever-evolving and improving karateka.
It is important to preserve traditions and display the utmost respect those who we train alongside and those who have come before us.
There is collective responsibility for keeping the dojo immaculately clean, you’ll be on your hands and knees cleaning the tatami alongside everyone else, regardless of age, grade, rank.
There is no better place to study Authentic Traditional Shotokan Karate. Get it on your bucket list senior grades because we will be going again!
A successful trip is measured by the fun you’ve had, the memories you’ve made and the people you’ve shared them with. A great time was had by all, with great friends and we have made some memories that will last a lifetime.
Here are just a few photos of our trip. We will be adding a full gallery soon!
Oss.
